Appreciate the admission that this can be an issue. I know there are no easy answers to fix it, with myself running a limited entry event this year at 125, plus volunteers and machine donors that moved it to a 200 person tourney. If it was a Stern Circuit event then how would I be able to reserve spots for the first top 10, 25, 50 players. The way it could be done is here:
For limited entry tournament they have to hold back 10% or a minimum of 10 registrations on the first day (24 hours). If they sellout within 24 hours, the rest of the entries are given in priority order based on IFPA ranking up to the top 250.
So say City Champ
84 maximum players, only 74 entries can be accepted within the first 24 hours, if it sells out which it will in 1 minute then the other ten are offered to the top IFPA that haven’t already registered for the event. If it doesn’t then these are simply added back into the initial registrations until the event sells out. The flip side was PinMasters where it didn’t sellout in 24 hours so the rest of tix would have been release to general public sale.
Say Pinburgh:
1000 maximum players, 100 reserved spots for IFPA based players.
The advantage of this is say I am ranked 50 I know for Pinburgh I don’t need to register because I get auto-invite and I get 48 hours to accept or decline. I can build my travel schedule and not worry about fighting thought the panic of missing the button in that one second period. It is a small pool of registration being capped at 10-100 based on limited entry size of event registrations but it now gives top players the opportunity for the most part to get invited.
I think we are going to find more and more Stern Circuit events that will have to be capped as demand is increasing for competition pinball. We want new people to come and play the events but we also want to see the best play too so this is a compromise.
The selection of Stern Circuit events, wow that is a much more cloudy issue of which is very hard determine. Honestly it probably is good how it is as it takes bias out of the picture but is far from perfect as there are geographical issues within IFPA ranks and clusters of shows that may get automatic inclusion just because they are situated where they are. I would like to see more restrictions on Stern Circuit events such as:
Must agree to an invite process above for IFPA ranking players if the tournament is restricted entry.
Must have a full stream setup to be considered, this is starting to be the norm now.
Must score an x percent approval rating on Stern Circuit event survey, could have a one year probation rule for those that don’t meet this.
I am sure you could go on, on the things that the Stern Circuit would want to standardize across it platform at all of the events.
I really appreciate all of the work the team does and hope together in the pinball community we can all come up with some good constructive solutions to help improve this over time.
So one Circuit event for Portland, Seattle and Vancouver is insufficient. And I take pleasure in mentioning it, but top 50 in those three cities could give the rest of the world a solid run for their money. We have been developing players for years. Another Circuit spot might be appropriate.
Well the goats were a one time only thing. But if you embrace the fact that pinball grew up and matured in bars, the Add A Ball 4/20 tournament might be right for you. It’s the most fun event in pinball, if you aren’t a miserable killjoy.
I am not an organizer of City Champ and do not speak for the organizers. I have volunteered my time to help run every single City Champ tournament and would advocate to the organizers that CC should be pulled from the Circuit if Stern/Replay/IFPA starts dictating who gets to play in the event. Failing that I would simply stop volunteering my time for the event.
Again, I’m just a volunteer. I do not speak for the organizers.
I would feel uncomfortable getting preferential registration for an open event over someone else based on my IFPA ranking. I’d hate to see things go that way.
As an organizer of an SPC event myself, I would pull Pin-Masters from the SPC if it began dictating in any way what I needed to do with my event (registration process, games used, game setups, etc).
I’m more than happy to pay my $5 per player to be on the tour, but stay out of the kitchen with respect to organizing my tournaments. The decisions I make for the events I organize evolve over the course of years through player feedback of those that actually attend and support my event. I’d rather continue to please that group that’s spending their time and money in showing up instead of trying to please the SPC overlord committee (even if I’m on that committee).
It an interesting problem with limited entry tournaments do you side with the notion it is a free for all and a random luck of draw to get in (not so lucky for those that have found creative ways to increase their on chance to get in). Or do you side with a tour player who is spending a considerable amount of money/time to attend these events in order to try to qualify for a top 20 space. The real problem is limited events are the issue, however, there are not enough unlimited events to fill out a Circuit. As well some of the limited tournament as really cool formats and why would be want to eliminate them from Circuit events. So we are back to how to we deal with this. The answer is we won’t and the tour will be flawed for enternity, and that is okay. However for any major sport and if this is where you want to take it and do the ESPN thing. This why every major brand out there has an overlord, commissioner, whatever you want to call them to make the tough decisions. To standardize the rules, process, guidelines for standard to uphold for events and to try to make the events associated with the brand as good as it can be. I honestly think nothing can be done about this as there are so many people on either side of the fence just thought it was worth the discussion.
If I am a “miserable killjoy” for being a recovering alcoholic who doesn’t find any fun in being around enormous amounts of booze, drugs, and intoxication, then so be it. Not everyone’s definition of fun is the same, and I would appreciate that nobody in this thread (or any other thread) judge other people for their choices about what events they do and don’t enjoy. No event is for everyone.
Also I would add that for the last two years Portland Pinbrawl has been invited to the circuit and declined. Circuit brings no value to the event, which already sells out in minutes every year regardless. In fact, being on the circuit would mean that locals who have been playing in it for years would have to fight against out-of-town pros coming in looking for circuit points, and pay $5 more for the privilege. This is not a slam on the circuit, or on Pinbrawl. They just have different motivations and incentives and that’s as it should be.
Greg, I knew there was something I really liked about you, but had no idea what it was. Almost 21 years clean and sober here and glad to be able to say it. I love to cut up and have fun and I can tell you from the description of that event that It would not be for me. For those who like that sort of thing, more power to you!
Greg, the path to recovery looks different for everyone and if being around drugs and alcohol isn’t something you enjoy, then perhaps the Add A Ball 4/20 event isn’t right for you. That being said, a number of beloved and respected pinball players attend that event who are in recovery or just don’t drink / enjoy the broad spectrum of psychoactive substances available. I personally take a month off of everything except cigarettes once every year or two and the only time I felt pressured to consume anything was last year when they desperately needed more people for the hotdog eating contest. Nitrated meat aside, and ignoring the occasional stoner passing a joint to the nearest warm body, there isn’t anything I feel is a slap in the face to people who for whatever reason decided to not partake of drugs or alcohol, be it for a day or a lifetime. People bring their kids to pet the baby goats. No one has ever been arrested. There’s never been a fight. It’s a party. Full stop. I have personally paid for an Uber out of Add A Ball on three occasions to make sure one friend and two total strangers’ nights didn’t end in the hospital or morgue, but neither of those were at the 4/20 event. It’s the most welcoming and accepting group of people I have ever met in my life who didn’t want to sell me insurance or have me worship their god.
I’m not sure if you took the ‘miserable killjoy’ comment as a slight on you personally or on people who no longer drink, but I apologise regardless. That wasn’t my intention. Hyperbole is my second favorite literary device. You come off a little tense at times and you sometimes get visibly upset when your games aren’t going as well as they should, but you’ve done more for pinball in general than myself or 99% of the people I know just between POP and the event organizing you do. I judge people by actions more than words and consider you a relative saint overall, even if I don’t make it a point to interact with you every time we happen to be in the same room or convention center hall. And while the fact you are in recovery makes a lot of sense in retrospect, I never considered you a pearl clutching, prohibition endorsing, absolutist, hurling copies of the Big Book from the nearest church steeple.
